🏆 Gene Dewey Refugee Award 2025

News

Eleon Foundation:

Hippotherapy for Children Refugees from Ukraine

Eleon Foundation, founded by Ukrainian refugees, provides psychosocial support for children with special needs. Classes are held at a hippotherapy center on the outskirts of Lublin.

One of our key activities is hippotherapy — horse-assisted therapy that helps develop motor skills for children with autism, Down syndrome, and physical disabilities, while also supporting their social skills and emotional stability.

Parents notice positive changes in their children’s behavior and well-being. In addition to hippotherapy, we organize language courses, support the integration of children in Polish schools, and build a community for families raising children with disabilities.

We are proud to share that Eleon Foundation received the prestigious Gene Dewey Refugee Award for leadership and commitment to supporting Ukrainian refugee children.

Source of the article: UNHCR

Eleon Foundation

received a prestigious award!

We are proud to announce that Eleon Foundation has been awarded the Gene Dewey Refugee Award 2025, granted by USA for UNHCR. This recognition highlights our commitment to supporting refugee children with disabilities who have found safety in Poland. Thank you for your trust and support!

Details

Eleon Foundation announces the start of food distribution under the FEPŻ program

Eleon Foundation is pleased to inform that starting from March 2025 we will begin distributing food packages within the framework of the European Funds for Food Aid 2021–2027 (FEPŻ). The goal of this program is to support people in particularly difficult life situations.

The support includes both personal pickup and delivery of food packages to Ukrainian refugee families living in Lublin, whenever possible.

Additionally, packages will also be available at our headquarters:
ul. Macieja Rataja 15B, 20-270 Lublin

For detailed information regarding dates and rules for picking up packages, please follow our announcements on our website and Facebook page.
More information about the FEPŻ program is available on the official program website.

We encourage you to follow our information channels to stay updated on the distribution schedule.

Eleon Foundation:

Hippotherapy classes for children with disabilities

Thanks to funding from UNHCR, Eleon Foundation is pleased to announce the launch of a special project starting on 24 June 2024 dedicated to children with disabilities. The three-month project includes hippotherapy sessions held at the “Arizona” stable in Lublin.

What is hippotherapy?

Hippotherapy is a form of therapy that uses horseback riding to support children’s physical and emotional rehabilitation. Contact with horses and riding help develop balance, coordination, and overall well-being. For many children, these sessions are not only therapy but also fun and a chance to make new friends.

Project Goal

The goal of the project is to provide children with disabilities the opportunity to participate in hippotherapy sessions, which can significantly support their development and rehabilitation. The project is dedicated to children from Ukraine and Poland, enabling integration and mutual support among participants.

Eleon Foundation for Ukrainian Children

From 12 to 17 December 2023, Eleon Foundation “Helping Hands for Ukraine”, together with its main partner in Ukraine, the Eleon Charitable Foundation, carried out a charitable project for Ukrainian children in Lublin.

The aim of the project was to provide moral and psychological support to children affected by the war in Ukraine, as well as to introduce them to Polish culture in order to strengthen good-neighbourly relations between Ukraine and Poland.

A total of 90 children took part in the project — 40 children who came from Ukraine for a short holiday stay in Poland, and 50 children who are temporary Ukrainian refugees living in Lublin.

The programme included:
• Trips around historic sites of Lublin and the Old Town
• A visit to the Open-Air Village Museum in Lublin
• A trip to the Illumination Park
• Educational and recreational events

All activities were held in a friendly atmosphere of mutual understanding. Children from Ukraine had the opportunity to learn about Polish culture and interact with their Polish peers.

Eleon Foundation expresses sincere gratitude to everyone who contributed to the implementation of this project. Special thanks go to the project sponsor — Chernobyl Children’s Lifeline (UK) — for their financial support.

Eleon Foundation also extends its thanks to the project partners — Caritas of the Archdiocese of Lublin and the Jana Zamoyskiego Foundation.

Eleon Foundation plans to continue implementing similar projects in the future.

On 23 August 2023, the “School Start” program was launched to support students
from Ukraine who were forced to leave their country and arrived in Poland after 24 February 2022 due to the full-scale military aggression of the Russian Federation in Ukraine.

Interested families could receive charitable assistance in the form of a school backpack with school supplies for students in grades 1–8 attending schools (not online) in Lublin and the Lublin region. Additional information was provided in the application form.

To stay informed about this and other forms of assistance, we invite you to follow our pages and groups.

On 3 August 2023, the first stage of the charitable project “Flowers of Life” began,

supporting Ukrainian families raising children with special needs who had to leave Ukraine and found safety in Poland, especially in Lublin and surrounding areas.

The meetings began with training elements, discussing expectations, and planning activities that would best support the participating families. Events were held at a pace and format adapted to the needs of mothers, while specialists provided space for conversation and exchanging experiences, helping reduce stress and offering practical information.

The events included discussions on child development, workshops tailored to the needs of families living in Poland, and creative and developmental activities for children — including sensory sessions and games.

Parents and children spent this time in a warm, friendly environment.

We sincerely thank Sarah Day for supporting the project, as well as UNHCR for providing transportation. Special thanks also go to the Jana Zamoyskiego Foundation and the Lublin Support Center in Przystań Lublin for providing space for the meetings.

Registration forms for participation in the program were available in the current “Flowers of Life” announcements.

Receive charitable support in the form of a free Uber taxi ride!

Filling out the form below allows you to apply for a free Uber taxi ride within Lublin and Świdnik.
The option to use the ride is available until 30.09.2023,
Monday–Friday, 7:00–20:00.

Important!

• Submitting the form does not guarantee receiving support.
• The organizer reserves the right to independently select the people who will receive assistance.
• The number of places is limited!
• Selected individuals will be informed by representatives of Eleon Foundation.

About the program
The Eleon Foundation program was created to support citizens of Ukraine who were forced to leave their country as a result of the full-scale military invasion launched by the Russian Federation on 24 February 2022.